AN EXEGESIS OF HEBREWS 2:5-10

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1 AN EXEGESIS OF HEBREWS 2:5-10 Joshua Keith Ensley November 14, 2014

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3 The Text Exposition of Psalm 8: Jesus and the Destiny of Humanity For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. Instead someone testified somewhere: "What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor; you put all things under his control." For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Heb 2:5-10 NET) 1 Introduction The book of Hebrews is one of the most sophisticatedly written books in all of the New Testament. Its language and rhetoric surpasses all else found within the text of the Bible, and within this persuasive text lies a desire from the author to give hope to the church that is being persecuted to the point of apostasy. The author of Hebrews labors in his writing to show to the church that Christ, His priesthood, and His covenant mediation is, in every aspect, far more superior to any person, cultic system, or covenant previously established; thus discouraging any and all temptations to pull away from Christianity back into the world of either Judaism, Roman/Greek polytheism, atheism, Gnosticism, etc. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of the thesis of the author of Hebrews within the text of 2:5-10; and that intent is, specifically, that Christ has been exalted to a seat of power where the world to come is in complete subjection to Him and all of His glory. 1 Unless otherwise noted, all Biblical quotes will be from the NET Bible. 1

4 Translation Comparison When comparing translations, the phrase most varying is found in 2:7a and 2:9a ( for a little while lower or a little lower ). Though the phrase η λα ττωσας αυ το ν βραχυ can mean a little lower in terms of place or status, this is not the case in this passage, though it is it the meaning in the psalm. 2 Popular translations that render this phrase a little lower are the NIV, NLT, KJV, ISV, YLT; those that render this phrase for a little while lower are ESV, NASB, HCSB, NET. Another phrase translated differently by English translations is found in 2:10a ( it was fitting for him ). The phrase ἔπρεπε γα ρ αυ τω is sometimes translated as only right 3, but this does not convey the proper meaning of the text. As Ellingworth and Nida point out, this rendition is not a strong expression in Greek. It does not suggest that God was compelled to do anything, but simply that what he did was fitting or appropriate. 4 Genre The genre of Hebrews has been a debated topic for centuries. Though the traditional, canonical ordering of the New Testament places Hebrews among the letters, Hebrews cannot be considered a letter. Hebrews lacks the traditional form of a letter by failing to include a greeting, blessing, closing, etc. It is understood by many scholars that Hebrews functions as a 2 Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews. UBS Handbook Series. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 3. 3 A translation of such can be found in the NLT bible; yet, other translations translate the phrase as it became him, which is even more vague. 4 Ibid., 6. 2

5 sermon/homily rather than a letter. Evidence for this assumption can be found in Hebrews 13:22 where the discourses is described as a word of exhortation. By understanding that Hebrews is to be read (or heard) as a homily, one can be assured that the work will contain rhetorical language that aims to promote a belief or doctrine. 5 Discourse Analysis Hebrews 2:5-10 falls after the introduction and first major premise in the homily. The introduction serves as an assurance to the audience that what God has spoken through the life, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ is true and should not be abandoned. The author of Hebrews asserts his thesis that Jesus has become much superior to angels in the position of son, backed by seven independent Old Testament quotations from which the author mines out his Christology. Now, as Hagner points out in his exposition, the author of Hebrews must turn his attention to a problem he himself has created: the point in time in which Jesus seemed to be inferior to the angels. 6 To support his new position of Christ s lowering, the author of Hebrews utilizes Psalm 8 (MT) by assigning it to Jesus during his time of lowering. In Hebrews 2:5-10, we have a notable amount of key words and phrases: he did not subject to angels the world to come, son of man, short time, glory and honor, and under his feet. Each of these key words or phrases play an important and unique role in the 5 For more on the genre of Hebrews, see Karen H. Jobes Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), Donald A. Hagner. Encountering the Book of Hebrews. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academy, 2002),

6 author s homily concerning the lowering and exaltation of Christ. Each of these words and phrases will be examined independently to better explain their significance. The Structure of Hebrews 2:5-10 The structure of the passage also helps assert the author s intent. The author uses a chiastic structure through a large portion of this passage (2:5-8b) to lay out his Christology. The structure is as follows: For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. A Instead, someone has testified somewhere: What is man that you think of him, or the son of man that you care for him? B You made him lower than the angels for a little while C You crowned him with glory and honor C 1 You put all things under his control B 1 For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control A 1 7 The author of Hebrews makes a very bold statement about angels not administering the world to come in order to prepare the audience to accept the fact of who does administer that world. Following this, the author quotes from Psalm 8 but applies a Christological understanding to it so that the audience can see more clearly what God did in Christ s exaltation (2:6-8b). From here, the author writes to the audience the words but we see Him/Jesus in order to remind them that they do indeed see Jesus. To conclude the matter, as Lane notes, the 7 This is my own analysis of the passage s structure. For more on the structure of Hebrews, see George H. Guthrie, The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998). 4

7 author of Hebrews makes a statement in verse 18 that points to the relevance of what has been said in 2:5-17, intending to strengthen the audience in their temptations and hardships concerning the persecution. 8 Usage of the Old Testament Text in Hebrews 2 Simply put, the author of Hebrews uses the text of the Old Testament, specifically Psalm 8, in order to present his Christology to the audience. He does this in a typical, Jewish midrashic fashion to show not only Jesus lowering, but also His exaltation. For example, though the original context of Psalm 8 does not separate the lowering (8:5a) from the crowing (8:5b), Hebrews intended meaning of the quote does. The original context of Psalm 8 is that of mankind being granted stewardship over creation. You made him lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). The author of Hebrews, however, uses the Psalm to speak of Jesus being made for a little while lower than the angels, followed by his crowning when He is exalted to the right hand of the Father. This is classic Jewish Midrash at its finest. The author takes a text and reworks it to fit his understanding while not necessarily bringing to his letter the original context of the piece. 9 8 William L. Lane. Word Biblical Commentary: Hebrews 1-8. (Dallas: Word Books Publisher, 1991), For further study on Midrash, see G. G. Porton, Rabbinic Literature: Midrashim, ed. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, Dictionary of New Testament Background: a Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000),

8 He did not subject to angels the world to come The gar clause at the beginning of this verse indicates that this is a new stage in the discussion, but it is not necessary for translation. 10 With that being said, the literary positioning of this phrase suggests that it is the author s opening statement concerning the temporary decreasing of Jesus to a status lower than the angels. The eternal world is not subject to angels, though the mortal is (Deut 32:8). This sets the stage for the author s midrashic interpretation of Psalm 8 (Heb 6-8a) to support his conclusion that nothing remains outside the control of Christ (8b). The conclusion, when built on the foundation of the midrashic interpretation of Psalm 8, confirms this opening angelic statement. The author of Hebrews opens this passage by immediately denying the idea that angels will be the ruling government of the world to come, that is, the heavenly, eschatological realm which will one day dwell on earth (Rev 21:1-2). Though the author has already expressed the superiority of Jesus to that of angels, this passage serves as the first explanation for the lowering for a time 11 of Jesus before his exaltation. The world is currently administered by angels, though their administration shall not transfer to the world yet to come. In the book of Deuteronomy, YHWH speaks of the angelic government of the world (Deut 32:8 LXX). The author of Hebrews uses the understanding that the current world is administrated by the angels of God in order to describe the humanity of Christ. Angelic administration of the world was a common idea in the Jewish circles of the first century and this section of Hebrews would have been capable of reaching the Jewish audience because of its 10 Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, For more on the temporal lowering of Jesus, see Ellingworth and Nida, 4. 6

9 content. 12 Though Christ is exclusively portrayed as superior to angels in chapter one, the commentary on Psalm 8 will explain that not only was Jesus temporarily made lower than the angels, but that his exaltation after death will grant Him administration to that which the angels shall not govern. Son of Man Though most New Testament readers will see the phrase son of man and immediately think that it is Christological in every sense, this is not the case in this particular passage. In the original context, as Hagner points out, the psalmist uses synonymous parallelism to describe human beings by both man and son of man. 13 William Lane argues that the fact that υι ο ς α νθρω που is anarthrous in Ps 8 supports the presumption that the writer to the Hebrews did not find a Christological title in the designation, 14 though other scholars argue the opposite. With the exception of one case (John 5:27), Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man by the articular phrase ο Υι ο ς του α νθρω που. In Second Temple Judaism, the title son of man was well known. For example, the writings of Daniel type the son of man to a messianic figure while the writings of Ezekiel do not. Nonetheless, the title is used many times to simply refer to a literal son of man, and since that is the original and contextual usage from Psalm 8 LXX, it is safe to say that the author of Hebrews uses it likewise. 12 Class discussion; works like Enoch would have contributed to this angelic concentration in the first century. 13 Hagner. Encountering, Lane, 47. 7

10 Short Time The word βραχυ ς has a range of meaning; it can either mean a small measure of distance ( just a little lower ), or a short amount of time ( for a little while ). 15 Hagner argues that since the author of Hebrews is not interested in the degree to which Christ was lowered to, as well as the fact that the author expresses the idea of Christ dwelling as a human being for a time before transcending back into the heavenly realm, the later meaning better fits the context of Hebrews. 16 The author of Hebrews uses a passage of man becoming lower in status to angels to describe the temporary lowering of Jesus below angles temporarily. In the first half of verse 7, the author of Hebrews writes of Christ s lowering, while the second half speaks of His exaltation: You have crowned Him with glory and honor. Glory and Honor Though the phrase with glory and honor appears in Psalm 8:8b (LXX), its usage is different than in the quote found in Hebrews 2:7b. Many New Testament manuscripts א) A C D* P Ψ al lat co) contain an additional reading at the end of verse 7: You have given him dominion over the works of your hands. This addition is most likely a scribal addition that sought to conform the Hebrews 2 text to that of Psalm 8:7 (LXX). 17 In the original context of the psalm, being made lower than the angels is equated with being crowned with glory and honor, while its usage in Hebrews suggests a stark contrast. To the 15 George H. Guthrie. The NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), Donald A. Hagner. New International Biblical Commentary: Hebrews. (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1990), NET Bible translator note tc17,

11 author of Hebrews, being made lower than the angels signifies His time in the flesh, while being crowned with glory and honor signifies His exaltation to power back above the angels. 18 The author of Hebrews thus divorces himself from the Hebrew parallelism found within Psalm 8 in order to express his Christological understanding. 19 Under His Feet The author of Hebrews uses the phrase under his feet in the same manner that it is used in Psalm 8 (LXX). In Psalm 8, the Psalmist uses it to show the stewardship of mankind; in Hebrews 2, the author uses it to show the subjection of everything to the already exalted son. In Second Temple Judaism, the phrase under his feet suggests authority and even exaltation. Psalm 110:1 tells of an exalted being where YHWH places his enemies under his feet: YHWH said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make you enemies your footstool (Ps 110:1). The usage in Hebrews 2 suggest the same idea is being delivered and would be familiar to the Jews of the first century. Guthrie argues that there seems to be a contradiction between the Psalm 110:1 and 8:4-6 quotes. Psalm 110:1 speaks of a future time when all Christ s enemies are made into a footstool under His feet, while 8:6 speaks of the already-accomplished act of putting everything under His feet. The author of Hebrews uses a rabbinic technique called dispelling confusion, which seeks to clarify the supposed contradiction of the text. The author of Hebrews utilizes Psalm 8 to 18 Class discussion. 19 Lane sees these three declarations (2:7a, 2:7b, 2:8a) as three stages in the experience of Jesus. Thus, the author of Hebrews must abandon the Hebrew parallelism in order to adopt these three statements into the perspective of the lowering and exaltation of Jesus. 9

12 assert that everything has already been subjugated to the Son, while he uses Psalm 110 to mean that at present we do not yet see all things under his control. 20 Application of the Text The humanity of Jesus is the central focus of this passage. Because Jesus was made lower than the angels for a short time, he endured everything that the community has faced or will face, even to the point of torture and death. But because Jesus was temporary lowered to this status, he was worthy to be exalted back above all, being granted dominion over that which even angels cannot govern. In his exaltation, all is subject to him and he will make sons of glory of those who put their faith in him. This could only happen because he, by the grace of God, tasted death. Though there may be times where we do not yet see that Christ controls all things, the reality is that all things are subject to him, regardless of our ability to perceive it. To the Christian who is facing persecution, going through struggles, or anything of the like, this passage serves as a reassurance that though we may not be able to see that God is in control of everything, he has been and always will be. To the Christian who is not facing persecution, this passage serves as an explanation to how Christ, whom is superior to angels, could at one time seem as though he was on a status less than them. 20 Guthrie, Hebrews,

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14 WORKS CITED Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene Albert. A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, Guthrie, George H. The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis. Grand Rapids: Baker, Guthrie, George H. The NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Hagner, Donald A. New International Biblical Commentary: Hebrews. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, Hagner, Donald A. Encountering the Book of Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Baker, Jobes, Karen H. Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Lane, William. Word Biblical Commentary: Hebrews 1-8, Dallas: Word Books Publisher, Porton, G.G. Rabbinic Literature: Midrashim, ed. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, Dictionary of New Testament Background: a Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006.

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